0:00:02 > 0:00:07Here in the UK, we're lucky to have things like transport networks, legal aid and free health care.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12I'm grateful that the NHS exists. I have personally benefited from it.
0:00:12 > 0:00:17The fact that the benefits are there when things go wrong is vital.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20These services are mostly paid for by us, the taxpayer,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and on the whole, we don't mind.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But what happens when someone tries to steal from the system?
0:00:27 > 0:00:31I think it's shocking that people lie to get benefits.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35- It sickens me and saddens me.- They're depriving people who need it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39With the economy as tough as it is, it's more important than ever
0:00:39 > 0:00:43that those who nick from the system don't get away with it
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and those who need help get it.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50This is the world of Saints And Scroungers.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Coming up on today's show, the scroungers out to cheat the system -
0:00:58 > 0:01:00a pensioner on benefits leading a double life,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04ripping off the state for tens of thousands of pounds.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06The total overpayment was...
0:01:06 > 0:01:11£108,835.31.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And we meet someone urgently in need of a helping hand.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17A woman who has brought up her family in the same council house
0:01:17 > 0:01:19for 30 years faces having to move
0:01:19 > 0:01:22after the introduction of the bedroom tax.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Now I'm unemployed, where am I going to get 25% extra to pay my landlord?
0:01:27 > 0:01:31The potential was there that I would lose my home.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Council housing started in the late 19th century
0:01:37 > 0:01:40and it was designed to give accommodation
0:01:40 > 0:01:41to people on low incomes.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46It's a huge success, judging by the fact that in the UK right now,
0:01:46 > 0:01:511.8 million people would love to be in a council house.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55With such desperate need for accommodation,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59no-one would take that kind of thing for granted, would they?
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Would they?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Well, meet 68-year-old Susan Cohen,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07a pensioner living in a council house in Barnet
0:02:07 > 0:02:09who is getting help from the welfare system.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13She seemed like a deserving case for support from the state,
0:02:13 > 0:02:19but when fraud investigators in Barnet got some information from the Department for Work and Pensions,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22they saw her in a whole new light.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Barnet has the second largest population in London
0:02:25 > 0:02:30and it's due to grow by 4.4% over the next five years.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I've come to the borough to find out more about her case.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Clair Green is the Assurance Assistance Director at the council.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44- How many council properties do you have in Barnet?- We've got about 11,500 across the borough.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47A pretty high demand for them too.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53- So, as soon as one of those becomes available, there will be someone who needs it?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56When did you first hear about the name Susan Cohen?
0:02:56 > 0:03:01We work very closely with the counter-fraud service at the Department of Work and Pensions,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03so we received a referral from them.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08What was it about Susan Cohen in particular that brought up a red flag for them?
0:03:08 > 0:03:13They had suspicions through looking into verifying a separate claim
0:03:13 > 0:03:17that they thought maybe she owned a property that we weren't aware of.
0:03:17 > 0:03:23So, to own a property and also be in receipt of benefit for another property,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25that doesn't feel right?
0:03:25 > 0:03:30No, that's pretty unusual, someone who owns a property who's in receipt of benefit.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The information from the DWP prompted Clair straight into action
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and her first job was to dig out Miss Cohen's current claims.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45On paper, Miss Cohen presented herself as a pensioner
0:03:45 > 0:03:50who was in receipt of income support and pension credits, no other income.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52She had a council tenancy.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56She had been resident at the address since 1983
0:03:56 > 0:04:01and she stated on the form that she had no other interest in any other property.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06She didn't own any other properties or she didn't have any other income coming in.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Susan Cohen was receiving nearly £130
0:04:10 > 0:04:13in housing and council tax benefit
0:04:13 > 0:04:17and £125 in pensioners' credits every week.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21After looking at what she had said on claim forms,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25the Barnet team delved further into what the DWP had uncovered.
0:04:25 > 0:04:32They had alerted Clair's team about Susan Cohen after investigating a tenant at a separate address.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35This tenant was claiming incapacity and housing benefit
0:04:35 > 0:04:39from a house in Booth Road in Barnet.
0:04:39 > 0:04:45During that investigation, fraud officers found two names linked to the ownership of that address -
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Cohen and Dwek.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52DWP records had a Susan Cohen claiming pension credits
0:04:52 > 0:04:56living at the council property in Woodburn Close
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and she hadn't declared that she owned any property,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03something that would have substantially affected her claim.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Could this be the same person?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09The investigators in Barnet got straight on the case,
0:05:09 > 0:05:14checking the name Susan Cohen and Susan Dwek on their systems.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20And by trawling through years of paperwork dating back to 1983,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23the team got a break with some crucial information.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Tony Nash was a lead investigator in the case.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34You've got the name Dwek. Where does that name come from?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37That is Mrs Cohen's maiden name.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Where did you find that information that linked those two names?
0:05:41 > 0:05:46We found that on an application form that had been received in March 2006.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50'So, from old benefit applications, the investigators now had evidence
0:05:50 > 0:05:56'that the two people - Susan Dwek and Susan Cohen - were in fact the same person.'
0:05:56 > 0:05:59So you've got Cohen equals Dwek.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Where do you take it next?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06We did some checks using our authorised officer powers
0:06:06 > 0:06:08to show bank account details
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and there was a tenant that she was being paid benefit to.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It came back in the name of Susan Dwek.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19OK, let's get this straight.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Susan's council house was in Woodburn Close
0:06:23 > 0:06:24and the private property
0:06:24 > 0:06:27they believed she was receiving a rental income from
0:06:27 > 0:06:32in the name of Susan Dwek, was in Booth Road.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36However, the fraud team noticed that she was also using a third address
0:06:36 > 0:06:41in Heriot Road, in Hendon, when writing to her tenant as Susan Dwek.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45The team did Land Registry checks on the two private addresses
0:06:45 > 0:06:49and the results they got back were surprising.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55She owned two properties, both of which she purchased without the need for a mortgage.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59So she's bought two houses for cash, it appears,
0:06:59 > 0:07:06- and she's also claiming benefit for the council house she's got in her other name, Cohen?- That's correct.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Does owning a property count you out from getting benefit?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It does make a difference, yes,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and the fact that she didn't have a mortgage on either property
0:07:16 > 0:07:19would negate any benefit entitlement.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Two houses and no mortgages.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27This woman was hardly a hard-up OAP.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32The investigators decided to pay Susan a visit at her council house
0:07:32 > 0:07:36in Woodburn Close, in Barnet, to get some answers.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41Susan Cohen had actually moved into the council property in 1983
0:07:41 > 0:07:46and had been claiming housing and council tax benefit since 1989.
0:07:46 > 0:07:53The council property was visited on several occasions and at no time was Mrs Cohen present there.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The property looked empty and was unkempt.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It didn't look as if it had been lived in for some time
0:08:00 > 0:08:06and also statements were taken to confirm that Mrs Cohen very rarely came to the property.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Hang on. Susan only VISITED the property?
0:08:10 > 0:08:14But she was meant to have been living there for 20-odd years!
0:08:14 > 0:08:16When investigators asked the neighbours,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19they said nobody lived in the house
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and people just came round to collect post.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27With thousands of people on the list for a council place in Barnet, here was one that was sat empty.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The information matched what the DWP had told the Barnet team,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36so it was time to take stock of what they knew about this OAP.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40There were three properties.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44The first property was the council property which was left empty.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The second property we believe Susan Cohen was living in herself
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and the third property we believe she was renting out.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54The investigators suspected that Susan Cohen was living
0:08:54 > 0:08:57at the house she owned in Heriot Road, in Hendon,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02and it was her property at Booth Road in Barnet where she was getting a rental income.
0:09:02 > 0:09:08When we checked our system, the investigation revealed that there was benefit being paid
0:09:08 > 0:09:13to the landlord of the tenant, Miss Cohen, under the alias name of Dwek.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15The investigators worked out
0:09:15 > 0:09:18that Susan had been getting taxpayers' money
0:09:18 > 0:09:21from her tenant in Booth Road for nearly a decade!
0:09:21 > 0:09:25She could have potentially pocketed as much as £54,000
0:09:25 > 0:09:27as a landlord,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31while claiming £13,000 in benefits at the same time.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35It was time to interview her about her claim and her properties,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39but as we'll find out later, Susan thought she had done nothing wrong.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44Mrs Cohen gave a pre-prepared statement prior to the interview.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48"I deny being dishonest or gaining any financial benefit
0:09:48 > 0:09:51"from the properties I purchased in my own name."
0:09:55 > 0:10:01For now, it's farewell to the fraudsters that are trying to cheat the system and let's say hello
0:10:01 > 0:10:03to those who we call our saints,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07who do everything to make sure that people who genuinely require help,
0:10:07 > 0:10:12but are too proud or don't know how to help themselves, get what they deserve.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20When you're bringing up a family, that tends to be your complete focus
0:10:20 > 0:10:26and if you're doing it right, eventually, they'll want to fly the nest and leave you on your own,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31but when you've got no-one but yourself to rely on, small things can have a big effect
0:10:31 > 0:10:37and, potentially, that small change can leave you jobless and without a home.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Meet 54-year-old Jennifer Carty who brought up her four children
0:10:43 > 0:10:47in a three-bedroomed council house in south-east London.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51She had always worked and was happy with her job in a nursing home.
0:10:51 > 0:10:57But after a reshuffle in management, she found herself where no hard-working person wants to be -
0:10:57 > 0:10:59unemployed and on the dole.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Having to sign on caused me a lot of embarrassment.
0:11:03 > 0:11:09It wasn't something that I envisaged for my life.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11It wasn't a place where I wanted to be.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17What I feared most of all was that I wouldn't get a job.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Jennifer had to claim Jobseeker's Allowance to keep her head above water,
0:11:21 > 0:11:26but was finding it hard to survive on the £57 a week she was getting.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31Then a change in welfare law meant she had to face another massive problem -
0:11:31 > 0:11:35having to pay more for her home in rent.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37When I first heard about the bedroom tax,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40it did cause me concern.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They were telling me that I would have to pay 25%.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Now, I'm unemployed. Where am I going to get 25% extra to pay my landlord?
0:11:49 > 0:11:54The so-called bedroom tax affects tenants in social housing
0:11:54 > 0:11:58who have large properties and are not occupying all of the bedrooms.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Under the new regulations, their housing benefit is lowered,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04so they are charged for having spare rooms.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Jennifer had two spare bedrooms and it meant she'd have to move,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11potentially away from south-east London.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I was born in the borough
0:12:13 > 0:12:17and it's always been home to me.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22The last of Jennifer's children moved out of the family home in 2011,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27but they all decided to settle close by, near to where Jennifer's mum also lived.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33The house where Jennifer raised her daughters was a very caring place.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37She gave them her all. She looked after them the best she could.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And they were happy.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Jennifer had been enjoying her independence after the children had flown the nest,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47but keeping the house was now looking almost impossible.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51It was just me in this big house
0:12:51 > 0:12:57and there I was struggling to pay for the heating and the lighting, the gas and everything.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03It soon became apparent that I would need to do something because I just couldn't maintain it.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09With the prospect of losing her home and moving out of the area that she loved,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Jennifer's need to find a job became even more urgent.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17I would be on the internet. I'd go for interviews.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I'd send out letters.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Half the time you... In fact, the majority of the time, you just wouldn't get a response.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And it would leave me feeling...
0:13:27 > 0:13:30It just accelerated that downward spiral.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33I'd think, "Well, what is it? What's wrong with me?
0:13:33 > 0:13:39"I'm not stupid. I do have qualifications. Why is it I'm not getting a job?"
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Imagine how frustrating that must be for Jennifer.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48She's looking for a new job. She's got the skills and the experience to get one,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52but no matter how hard she tries, nothing is forthcoming.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Instead, she's on benefits and getting more and more depressed.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03There were days when I really didn't want to get out of bed, to be honest.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08I would cry because I would think to myself, you know, "I haven't got any money,
0:14:08 > 0:14:13"I can't actually even feed myself and clothe myself.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16"I don't want to be relying on anyone.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19"I don't want to be relying on the state."
0:14:19 > 0:14:26But there were many times when I'd have to go to my mum to eat because, you know, I just didn't have it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32It was fast turning into an unmanageable situation.
0:14:34 > 0:14:40Jennifer needed help and she eventually got some, but from an unlikely source -
0:14:40 > 0:14:45her landlords, a non-profit housing association, Family Mosaic.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53In April 2013, the Government introduced bedroom tax.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And this resulted in deductions
0:14:56 > 0:14:59for people under-occupying their property.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Part of my role was to actually contact the tenants who are actually affected by bedroom tax.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Carol immediately got on the case
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and her team were on hand to discuss Jennifer's situation with her.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15How many people are there in your household at the moment?
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- There's just myself. - How many bedrooms do you have?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- Well, it's a three/four-bedroom... - Oh, right.
0:15:22 > 0:15:29Obviously, when I initially got it, it was a family house and I had four children,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33so now that they've all grown up, it's just left me now.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Jennifer was getting some much-needed advice from the housing association,
0:15:38 > 0:15:44but she was also looking for a way to increase her income and get off Jobseeker's Allowance.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Once again, help was at hand.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51I had struggled for a long time on my own just trying to get work,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53but it wasn't happening,
0:15:53 > 0:15:57so one of the people that I turned to was Patricia Evans.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01She really was a great source of support for me.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06Patricia was part of the housing association team's employment section
0:16:06 > 0:16:08that Jennifer was referred to.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12When I first met Jennifer, her main issue was that she was affected
0:16:12 > 0:16:15by the welfare reform.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Her housing benefit had been reduced by 25%
0:16:18 > 0:16:23and she was out of work and needed to get back into work in the quickest time possible.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Two teams at Family Mosaic were now supporting Jennifer,
0:16:28 > 0:16:34but would they be able to help her keep her home, or at least find her a new one in the same area?
0:16:35 > 0:16:40Carol Barnes Alexander from Family Mosaic suggested that the best way forward for Jennifer would be
0:16:40 > 0:16:43to join a home-swapping scheme.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I told Jennifer that mutual exchange was a very good option.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50It's the quickest route to be rehoused.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Mutual exchange does make it easier to stay within an area.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57You have that choice of areas.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Carol's team was on hand to help Jennifer start the process.
0:17:03 > 0:17:08Let me explain about the bedroom tax and how it would affect you.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Obviously, at the moment, with two or more spare rooms, and you've got more than two,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17you'll be looking at a 25% cut in your housing benefit.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- Right.- You've looked on the HomeSwapper website.- Yeah.
0:17:21 > 0:17:28There's lots of places on there. You can specify. What you need to do is find somewhere ideal for you.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33Once you do that, we can then help you arrange a mutual exchange with that partner.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40Taking part in a mutual exchange meant that not only could she afford to stay in the area
0:17:40 > 0:17:46that she knew and loved, but she'd also be freeing up a property for a family that really needed it.
0:17:46 > 0:17:53'I decided to go on the internet and see, you know, what was available.'
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Jennifer actually registered herself.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59She was quite pro-active in that way.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03She then came in to Family Mosaic offices,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07where we helped to upload photographs on to the HomeSwapper website.
0:18:07 > 0:18:13I'd made the decision to move and that side was coming nicely.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17But I still needed to sort out the employment side.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Jennifer suspected it was her age preventing her from getting a job.
0:18:21 > 0:18:28The Employment Officer at the housing association knows that it's a common problem.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34It is normal for people in their 50s to perceive that it is harder
0:18:34 > 0:18:37to find work because of their age.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41In my own opinion, I think the fact that they are that age
0:18:41 > 0:18:45is what they bring to the workplace.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50When I initially met with Patricia and spoke with her
0:18:50 > 0:18:55and she went through all my skills and what have you,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59she began to encourage me.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04And from where I was coming from, the depression
0:19:04 > 0:19:10and all the anxiety that I felt with being unemployed, she really did lift me.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Patricia was determined to get Jennifer back into the workplace
0:19:14 > 0:19:19and thought that Deena Saleh - a specialist employment broker -
0:19:19 > 0:19:22could kick-start her prospects.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26She's a very bright lady. I was helping her,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29contacting her on a weekly basis,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32sometimes three or four times a week.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33Like a Jack Russell!
0:19:33 > 0:19:39Now Jennifer had two people at the association on the case, helping her to find work.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44They really helped me because I felt they were passionate about getting me a job.
0:19:44 > 0:19:51Deena looked at Jennifer's work history and skills and filtered her job search to find roles
0:19:51 > 0:19:53where Jennifer could really excel.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58She's very organised. I did feel that she would really do well
0:19:58 > 0:20:02as a receptionist somewhere, dealing with people,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05using her organisational skills.
0:20:05 > 0:20:12And just a few months later Deena spotted a vacancy for Jennifer that ticked all the right boxes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:18There was one particular job that I'd seen online and I called them
0:20:18 > 0:20:24because a job description is fine, but I really needed to know what sort of person.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Give me some details, you know?
0:20:26 > 0:20:32And she did. I said to her at the time, "I've got the exact person
0:20:32 > 0:20:36"that would be absolutely amazing for this role."
0:20:36 > 0:20:41The job was working as a receptionist in a dentist's surgery
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and Deena arranged for Jennifer to go in for an interview.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49When Jennifer arrived, it was obvious she was a mature lady.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53I was extremely grateful - another mature lady in the practice.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55She was calm, collected, well-dressed...
0:20:55 > 0:21:00and seemed to fit all the bills that Deena said she would do.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04The manager looked at me and said, "You've got the job."
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And I thought, "Yes!"
0:21:07 > 0:21:13Deena and the employment team had got her back into the workplace
0:21:13 > 0:21:20and she no longer had to rely on Jobseeker's Allowance, something she never wanted to have to claim.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25The next thing Jennifer needed to do was to sort out her housing.
0:21:25 > 0:21:32Jennifer had been looking at potential house swaps for months and had viewed many properties.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Finding a good swap wasn't easy, but finally she found a match.
0:21:36 > 0:21:43- These are the documents we'll be going through with yourself and the exchange partner.- OK.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48The first two are the assignment of tenancy and the licence, which both of you sign.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52These are documents which basically switch over the two tenancies.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56One says, "I'll take over your tenancy, you'll take over mine."
0:21:56 > 0:22:01The other says you'll take over responsibility for the premises.
0:22:01 > 0:22:07So just days after she got her new job, she also found a one-bedroom flat in south-east London
0:22:07 > 0:22:09with which she fell in love.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15When I actually walked in to this property, I knew it was the one.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I felt quite comfortable with it.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22Luckily, the tenants of the one-bedroom flat were in need of a bigger property
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and Jennifer's house just fit the bill.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29The lady that's now in my property has two children
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and they were all in one room.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It just brought it all back to me.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I was really happy to let her have that place.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Thanks to the help of the two teams at the housing association,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Jennifer is in every way in a much more positive place.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Being able to have my independence back,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51not being dependent on the state,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I just feel like everything's come together. It's really good.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Time now to return to the self-seeking world of the scrounger.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09The fraud team at Barnet Council
0:23:09 > 0:23:12are investigating the case of pensioner Susan Cohen
0:23:12 > 0:23:17who's been claiming benefits from her council property since 1989,
0:23:17 > 0:23:22despite the fact that she owned private properties in her maiden name, Susan Dwek.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28So she's receiving Housing Benefit for her own property and Council Tax benefit.
0:23:28 > 0:23:36She's also receiving a rental income in the form of Housing Benefit from another tenant.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41At this stage, are you giving her the benefit of the doubt? How does an investigation work?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44We carried on the investigation
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and asked Mrs Cohen to come in for an interview,
0:23:47 > 0:23:49which she failed to do so.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51So we organised to arrest her.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53She came to the property.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57It was a pre-arranged meet with the council officer.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And she turned up.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04She was arrested and taken back to Colindale Police Station
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and interviewed under caution.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10The investigators wanted answers to a number of questions,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13but Susan Cohen would only give them one...
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Mrs Cohen gave a pre-prepared statement prior to the interview
0:24:20 > 0:24:23in which she states at the start,
0:24:23 > 0:24:29"I, Susan Cohen, have been informed of the allegations and wish to make a short written statement.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34"I deny being dishonest or gaining any financial benefit
0:24:34 > 0:24:38"from the properties I have purchased in my own name." She goes on to say
0:24:38 > 0:24:41that the properties were held in trust for her daughter.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47However, Land Registry checks show that it was clearly in her name
0:24:47 > 0:24:51with no other names included on the Land Registry documents.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56Susan wasn't being straight with investigators
0:24:56 > 0:25:01and the fraud team wasted no time in taking action.
0:25:01 > 0:25:07After the interview under caution, the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claim was reassessed,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11resulting in an overpayment of £56,000.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16In addition, the DWP reassessed their figures
0:25:16 > 0:25:20and there was an overpayment of £36,000.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Susan had swindled over 92,000 quid,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28a staggering amount of taxpayers' cash.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33The team was also now dealing with a potentially massive fraud case
0:25:33 > 0:25:40in relation to her council property which had sat empty for ten years with thousands on the waiting list.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46If that wasn't bad enough, officers uncovered another possible fraud when they investigated
0:25:46 > 0:25:49her rental property in Booth Road.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55The property where it was believed Susan Cohen had a tenant
0:25:55 > 0:26:03was also visited on several occasions and this showed that the property was empty as well.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Hold on a minute. The house that she was renting out was empty,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12but where was Susan's tenant who she was getting taxpayers' money to house?
0:26:13 > 0:26:14At this point,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17we believed she'd been receiving benefit
0:26:17 > 0:26:19in respect of her tenant since 1999,
0:26:19 > 0:26:26but in 2008 the tenant had moved out and Miss Cohen, under the name Dwek, had continued to receive benefit.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33So Susan had been pocketing her tenant's Housing Benefit money after they moved out.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37How long had this been going on?
0:26:37 > 0:26:43For the period of time that the property was empty, Miss Cohen had received about £16,500 in benefit
0:26:43 > 0:26:47as the landlady under the name Dwek to which she wasn't entitled.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52So she had potentially stolen thousands of pounds in addition
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and the final cost to the state was huge.
0:26:55 > 0:27:02The total overpayment was £108,835.31
0:27:02 > 0:27:07So the victims in this case weren't just taxpayers losing cash.
0:27:07 > 0:27:14They were families losing out on a council home in Barnet when one was being used to commit fraud.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16After a lengthy investigation,
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Susan Cohen was finally put on trial on the 13th November, 2012.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27At the Crown Court, she was charged with seven counts of benefit fraud.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Susan Cohen attended Wood Green Crown Court and she pleaded guilty.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Despite her early denials, Susan decided to come clean
0:27:37 > 0:27:39and she was sentenced to eight months in prison.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Barnet Council took back the council property
0:27:42 > 0:27:45that she was supposedly living in while claiming benefits.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Her conviction and custodial sentence
0:27:48 > 0:27:50was a great result for the fraud team.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54But Barnet Council has made someone very happy
0:27:54 > 0:27:59and eventually the fraud team hopes to recover all the taxpayers' money.
0:27:59 > 0:28:06So now Cohen's council house has been given to someone that both needs and deserves it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10And for her crimes she's been given a different kind of property.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14This one comes with an eight-month lease.